Blank cartridge firing device for cannons, guns, etc.



March 19, 1946.

B. H. SMITH BLANK CARTRIDGE FIRING DEVICE FOR CANNONS, GUNS, ETC

Filed March 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 p VII INVENTOR. Bu 01y Heme 5mmrron/5y March 19, 1946; s rr 2,396,895

BLANK CARTRIDGE FIRING DEVICE FOR CANNONS, GUNS, ETC

Filed March 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Bu)? w H4 WLF) 5M1 ThBY Patented Mar. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLANK CARTRIDGEFIRING DEVICE FOR CANNON S, GUNS, ETC.

Application March 16, 1944, Serial No. 526,718

2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a blankcartridge firing device for cannons, guns and the like.

More specifically, the invention proposes certain improvements in firingdevices adapted to be used in connection with guns in general andparticularly with guns used on ships for firing life lines between shipsand ship and shore. Heretofore, it has been common practice to useprimers for this purpose, but it has been found that these primers arehighly unreliable and often require the use of several primers before aprimer that will actually fire is found. Primers of this type aregenerally carried on ships at sea for long periods at a time and theundeterminable eiiects of unfavorable climatic conditions, and timeaffect the operation of these primers to the point where it has beenfound that whole groups of them are rendered useless for their intendedpurposes. This uselessness is generally not apparent, requiring that theprimers be actually used under firing conditions to determine theirutility.

It i the object of this invention to construct a firing device which maybe mounted upon a cannon or gun for firing purposes, and which employsconventionally constructed blank cartridges for achieving the firing ofthe explosive charge within the barrel of the gun. Since such cartridgesare generally weather-proof in character and do not readily deteriorate,it becomes apparent that these blank cartridges will not be aifected byunfavorable climatic conditions and time, and each will fire whenemployed in this new and improved firing device.

It is proposed to characterize the blank cartridge firing device by abushing adapted to be threadedly mounted through the side wall of acannonor gun in alignment with the firing charge thereof. It is proposedto place a blank cartridge within the hollow of the bushing in a mannerso that its explosive material when exploded will contact the firingcharge and ignite the same. I

Still further, it is proposed to provide the bushing with a base memberdesigned to pivotally support a firing pin member carrying a firing pinalignable with the tubular opening of the bushing. A resilient means isarranged between the base and the firing pin member in a novel manner tourge the firing pin member towards the bushing to cause its firing pinto smartly hit the head of the cartridge and explode the same when thefiring pin member comes down into position upon the cartridge.

Stillanother object of the invention proposes the provision of a latchmember upon the base for holding the firing pin member in a loadedcondition so that when the latch is released the resilient means will befree to urge the firing pin member into its firing position.

Still further, the invention proposes to slidably engage the blankcartridge into the bushing in a manner to cause its explosiverepercussion force to eject the exploded cartridge from th bushing. Thearrangement is such that the repercussion will throw the firing pinmember backwards. Moreover since the resilient means tends to urge saidfiring pin member forwards into an operative position, if said resilientmeans should become broken its rearward motion under the influence ofthe ejected cartridge, will move it to its rearward inoperative positionwhere it will emain and give visible notice that the resilient mean hasbecome broken.

It is a further object of this invention to con struct a blank cartridgefiring device for cannons and guns which is simple and durable and whichmay be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fi 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a cannon provided with ablank cartridge device constructed in accordance with this invention andshown partly in vertical section to reveal interior constructions.

Fig. 2 i a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a different positionof the parts.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The blank cartridge firing device for cannons, guns and the like,according to this invention, is intended to beused in combination with acannon, gun or similar device I ll which has not been disclosed indetail on the drawings, only a portion of its side wall being shown. Thecannon l0 may be of the yp enerally used on ships at sea for shootinglife lines between a ship and a second disabled vessel which is adaptedto be used in connection with a breeches buoy for rescuing persons fromthe disabled ship or said cannon may be of any other type. The cannonopening through the side of said cannon or gun for communicating withthe firing charge and having a pair of upwardly directed spaced lugsspaced from said opening, a threaded bushing for threaded mounting insaid Opening in the side of said cannon or gun and engaging through saidopening in said base for clamping the base upon said cannon or gun andhaving a passage for receiving and supporting a blank cartridge forfiring said charge, a firing pin member having a keeper opening and aside opening and also having a pair of lugs adjacent said spaced lugs, apivot pin extending through all of said lugs for pivotally mounting saidfiring pin member, a hook member pivotally connected with the rearof'said base and engageable with said keeper opening in said firing pinmember for holding said firing pin member in cocked position, and aspring coaxially mounted upon said pivot pin at a point between saidlugs and having one end fixedly held relative to said base and havingits other end extending radially and engaging in said side opening insaid firing pin member for urging said firing pin member into firingposition.

2. A blank cartridge firing device for cannons, guns and the like,comprising a base for engaging upon the outside of a cannon or gun andhaving at one end an opening for alignment with an opening through theside of said cannon or gun for communicating with the firing charge andhaving a pair of upwardly directed spaced lugs spaced from said opening,a threaded bushing for threaded mounting in said opening in the side ofsaid cannon or gun and engaging through said opening in said base forclamping the base upon said cannon or gun and having a passage forreceiving and supporting a blank cartridge for firing said charge, afiring'pin member having a keeper opening and a side opening and alsohaving a pair of lugs adjacent said spaced lugs, a pivot pin extendingthrough all of said lugs for pivotally mounting said firing pin member,a hook member pivotally connected with the rear of said base andengageable with said keeper opening in said firing pin member forholding said firing pin member in cocked position, and a spring :0-axially mounted upon said pivot pin at a point between said lugs andhaving one endfixedly held relative to said base and having its otherend extending radially and engaging in said side opening in said firingpin member for urging said firing pin member into firing position, andsaid firing pin member having another opening into which the end of saidspring may engage for changing the tension of said spring.

BURTON HAWLEY SMITH.

